Can Ecurie Ecosse D‑Type Break Auction Records?

The Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar D-type, in which Scottish aces Ron Flockhart and Ninian Sanderson won the great race, will be the headline lot at RM Sotheby’s sale at the annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Monterey, California, on August 19-20.

The British-built sports-racer, the replacement for the successful C-type, wears its original chassis number, XKD 501, and is still resplendent in the period dark-blue colours, with St Andrew’s cross, of the privateer Ecurie Ecosse team. It was the first such machine supplied to a privately run squad by the factory. After winning at Le Mans, XKD 501, which has been with the same American owner since 1999, raced at Goodwood and Aintree and in the final edition of the fearsome Italian road race, the 1957 Mille Miglia. The car was retired from competition in June that year.

“XKD 501 is without question one of the world’s most significant competition cars,” says Shelby Myers, Car Specialist at RM Sotheby’s. “It has an incredible racing pedigree, having won the most gruelling contest in sportscar racing, the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans, and importantly, is without any stories. What’s more is its amazing originality; pure in terms of body, chassis and engine, there is no other Le Mans winner from this period that is as original as this car.”

Reeking of authenticity and provenance, this incredible D-type is expected to smash the hammer price of any previous British racer sold auction. And rightly so.

Kindly form an orderly queue at the lottery-ticket counter…

Images courtesy of RM Sothebys